July 20 - August 16/23Paris Plages: sand, beach trees, volley balls and bikinis -- on the Seine! Along the Right Bank quays and Hôtel de Ville until August 16th, at the Bassin de la Villette until August 23rd. This year's edition of the Paris Plages will feature many fun activities. Free entry, 9am-midnight. The 2015 schedule will be up here on opening day.

July 22-August 23The annual Open-Air Cinema Festival takes place Wed-Sun nights at the Parc de la Villette's Triangle Prairie (M° Porte de Pantin), starting at sunset (around 10pm), free entry (deck chair rentals from 7:30pm). This year's haunting and spooky and horrific theme is "Home Cinema" (all films can be downloaded to watch at home from the website), including: Last Days, Beetlejuice, shutter Island, The Shining, Moulin Rouge, the Ghost Writer, and many French and international films (all in VO with French subtitles).

Entries in American
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Had you followed the damp queue through the mysterious door on the Quai de Jemmapes last Saturday, you would have been rewarded with a glorious sight. On every surface were perched bright, colourful, scrumptious treats - cupcakes everywhere, as far as the eye can see. This can only mean one thing: the third edition of Cupcake Camp Paris was in full swing at the trendy Comptoir Général.

If you're visiting from America, you can move along, there's nothing to see here. But if you live in France and have been craving real American treats in a cozy and friendly setting, come on down to the Left Bank.

Final Reminder to VOTE!
American citizens should vote now in the November 4, 2008 presidential
and general elections. If you registered to vote and requested an
absentee
ballot by your
state's deadline, you should have already received your
state absentee ballot. Please return your marked ballot now!

Ballot hasn't arrived?
If your ballot has not arrived, use the Federal
Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB).
The FWAB serves as an emergency ballot for voters who registered in
time
but fail to receive an official ballot from local election officials.
The FWAB is
available at www.fvap.gov or from any U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

If your regular state ballot arrives after you have mailed the FWAB,
complete and mail the state ballot as well.

Returning your ballot
Voted ballots and FWABs may be mailed to your local voting officials
in the United States through first-class international mail or from any
U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Last-minute voters should consider using
an express courier company to deliver their ballots (FedEx has special rates from France). A few states also accept completed ballots by fax or e-mail.

Questions?
The Voting Assistance Officers at the Consular Section of the U.S.
Embassy
in Paris are also always available to answer questions about absentee
voting.